Inflammation - The Root of all Disease
Inflammation has been strongly linked to many of the world’s most serious conditions. The health and variety of your belly’s bugs directly depends on the foods you eat and the liquid you consume.
So, how do we prevent inflammation from harming our bodies?
The key is feeding your body beneficial bacteria that do not cause chronic inflammation, help build up nourish healthy cells, and create a diverse gut flora. You should be consuming good bacteria daily!
Much of what we currently known about the microbiome has been studied on germ free rats. According to the NIH, “Germ-free mice are bred in isolators which fully block exposure to microorganisms, with the intent of keeping them free of detectable bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotic microbes” (Kennedy, King, and Baldridge, 2018).
These rats are known to have acute anxiety, an inability to handle stress, chronic gut and general inflammation, and lower levels of an important brain-growth hormone called BDNF.
Now comes bacteria in the form of probiotics. When introduced to a diet rich in Lactobacillus helveticus and/or bifidobacterium longum (two common probiotics), the rats symptoms were reversed.
In 2019, Kris Gunnars from Healthline stated that food and beverages (Scoby!) help alleviate many chronic metabolic diseases. Undesirable bacteria called endotoxins can sometimes leak through the gut lining and enter the bloodstream (PubMed Central). Your immune system will recognize these as foreign molecules and attach them, resulting in chronic inflammation (PubMed Central). In many cases, this insulin will trigger insulin and leptin resistance, driving factors for type 2 diabetes and obesity. It is also believed to cause fatty liver disease.
Inflammation also directly links to brain disease.
Elevated blood sugar results in excess sugar which can be toxic if it is not swept up and used by cells. This correlates to Glycation, a biological process where sugar binds to proteins and certain fats, causing deformed molecules that don’t function well. Your body does not recognize these, so they set off inflammatory reactons.
There are 3 major forces at work against your gut. These include:
1) Exposure to substances that adversely change the composition of the bacterial colonies (environmental chemicals, ingredients in food (sugar and gluten), water with chemicals such as chlorine, and drugs like antibiotics.
2) Lack of nutrients that support healthy, diverse tribes of bacteria
3) Stress
What sparks inflammation, which leads to disease?
1) Gluten
2) Sugar
3) Lack of antidotes such as healthy fats, exercise, and restful sleep.
4) An upset microbiome and the disastrous effects of molecules like LPS that go rogue once in circulation
We MUST pay attention to how our gut is nurtured, and also to ensure the integrity of our gut lining.
So, what are some things we can avoid to prevent inflammation, and what are some things that we should definitely include in our diets every day?
Avoid - Omega-6 fats – Dominate the western culture (vegetable oils) and increase your risk of brain disorders and heart disease
Seek out - Omega-3 fats (the good stuff) – Olive oil, fish, flaxseed, and wild, grass-fed & finished animals that help boost brain function, help stamp out inflammation, and can actually counterbalance the detrimental effects of omega-6 fats
Sources:
1) Gunnars, Kris. (2019). Does All Disease Begin in Your Gut? The Surprising Truth. Healthline.
2) Kennedy, E. A., King, K. Y., & Baldridge, M. T. (2018). Mouse Microbiota Models: Comparing Germ-Free Mice and Antibiotics Treatment as Tools for Modifying Gut Bacteria. Frontiers in physiology, 9, 1534. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01534
3) Perlmutter, D. (2017). Brain maker: The power of gut microbes to heal and protect your brain - for life. Yellow Kite.
